Toy vehicle



2 Sheets-Sheet l H @A @l G. A. MARMO TOY VEHICLE Oct.'19, 1954 Filed sept. 2o, 195o G. A. MARMO TOY VEHICLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y I mmol? @zz/eros@ M1122@ y om H32@ Wim/MAI Oct. 19, 1954 Filed Sept. 20, 1950 Patented Oct. 19, 1954 UNITED STATESl PTENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

. This. invention relates. to toy electric automobiles and roadways therefor. Primarily, the invention relates to. non-conductive roadways incorporating commutator type, straight. line, segmented conductors of magnetizable materials and toy electric automobiles having current collectors. engaging the conductor segments, and an electromagnet associated with the steering wheels and in magnetic relation with the said conductor segments,l whereby the vehicleis automatically steered and caused to follow the said magnetic track. The invention also relates to the use of segmented, metallic, non-magnetic roadways incorporating subjoined, continuous guiding membersJ of magnetizable materials.

I-I-itherto, toy electric automobiles havev been used with conductive roadways mounting wire conductors set in central grooves, the conductors being insulated from the grooves and having exposed upper surfaces for engagement by current collecting wheels mounted on the bodies of the automobiles, one of the rear wheels of which is` in conductive bearing engagement with the conductive surface of the roadway. Non-conductive Wheels mounted on the front trucks engage the grooves and serve to steer the automobiles. Other toy automobiles are provided with magnets which are magnetically coupled to belt-mounted: magnets underneath the.k roadways, the automobiles being carried along by the magnetic attraction of the moving belt-mounted magnets. To prevent the automobile from turning around or steering away from the path of the` roadway magnets, one side of thev roadway is formed with a raised guide rail section, and the roadway magnets are so arranged. as to. bias the car wheels against the guide rails when` magnetically coupled tothe car magnets. g

Both the current-actuated, and the magnetically attracted cars require special constructions and installations which detract from the. simplicity of the car structures and their operation.

I have found that the advantages o these hitherto mutually exclusive types of toy auto.- mobiles can be combined in novel current-driven. and magnetically steered cars operating onnonmagnetic roadways incorporating spaced bars serving as commutator elements of a current supply, alternate commutator segments being respectively connected to. common leads of a suitable current source. Where an insulated roadway, of wood, or plastic, is used, the commutator segments beset in a longitudinal groove. When a.. segmented: non-magnetic',y conductive roadway, of brass. or the like, is. used, a continuous, magnetically responsive guide bar of soft. iron, or the like will be mounted on the under surface of the roadway.`

It is a primary object ofr my invention to. provide a toy electric motor drivenV automobile adapt to run on an insulated, non-metallic roadway incorporating a unitary, commutatcr type current supply for they motor, as Well as run on a segmented, non-magnetic, metallic roadway having a unitary guide member of magnetizable material subjoined thereto.

It is also an object of my invention tov provide a toy automobile of the character described and an associated` roadway incorporating a unitary, segmented current supply means of conductive, magnetizablematerial adapted to effect simultaneous energizing of the driving motor and guiding and steering of the automobile.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a toy automobile vand roadway of the character described in which the roadway has a plane road surface over which the wheels of the automobile travel in the usual manner of automobiles and in which the automobile is steered and guided from magnetizable, segmented, electric conductor means associated with the plane road surface.

Yet another object of my invention is the provision of a toy electricv motor and a roadway of suitable configuration, the automobile having means adapted to pick up electric current from the roadway and magnetically effect guiding and steering of the automobile.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a special commutator type, segmented electric conductor of spaced, magnetic conductor elements, a current source, and leads severally connecting alternate. conductor elements in parallel.

The above and other desirable objects and features of novelty and advantage of they present invention will be described in the accompanying specication and illustrated in the drawings,v certain preferred embodiments of the invention beings-hown by way of illustration only, as the iii-- ventionis not intended to be limited tothe forms shown, except as such limitations are clearly imposed by the appended claims.

In. the drawings, like numerals refe-r to similar parts throughout the several views, of which Fig. l is a plan View of a section of a roadway with a segmented. eommutator type, central conductor of magnetiz-able,` electrically conductive elements, and a toy electric motor driven automobile mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram of the electrical connection of the segmented conductor of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail of the roadway of Fig. l, showing the mounting of a segmented conductor element in the surface of a wooden roadway;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a section of segmented, non-magnetic, conductive roadway with a subjoined magnetically responsive guide element;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the frame of a toy automobile showing the electric motor, steering magnet, current collectors, and internal wiring, the body being shown in phantom view, and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the chassis structure of Fig. 5, with the body removed.

Turning now to the showings of Figs. 1 3, the preferred form of the novel roadway and its associated conductor will be described. The roadway is made of wood, wood composition, laminated wood or fabric, extruded or cast plastic sections, or any suitable insulating structural material including sheet asbestos, phenolic condensation products, and the like. The roadway may have any desired configuration: straight-away; oval; figure 8; circular; butterfly, or any simple or compound road section. The completed roadway will comprise fitted sections, not shown, arranged to simulate any desired road structure. The roadway, as shown, will be of rectangular cross-section, with a plane top surface 2, which is routed along its longitudinal center to form a groove 3. A segmented conductor, designated generally by the numeral I0, is comprised of alternate segments Il, |2, severally fitted, in drive fit, in the groove 3, and having their upper surfaces extending slightly above the surface |I, of the roadway. The segments Il, I2, may be uniformly spaced by spacers I3, of any suitable insulating material, such as wood or plastic, or they may be formed of cast plastic or hardenable wood base plastic fillers. The segments I2 are serially designated ||a to Hg, and 12a to |2g, respectively. The alternate individual segments are connected in parallel, as shown in Fig. 2, to a suitable power input |4 through positive lead I5, and negative lead i5, with the individual connections from the segments to the leads being designated |5a to |59, and IGC!l to 15g, respectively. The connections I5a-I5Q, and Nia-|69, are secured to the conductor segments in any suitable manner, well-known to those skilled in the art, and are not detailed here, as no invention is predicated upon their particular details in the system herein.

In the form of roadway shown in Fig. 4, a plane road surface is formed by the upper surfaces 6 of a plurality of inverted channel-shaped segments 5, of non-magnetic metal, such as sheet brass, copper, or the like. rIhese segments have depending sides 1, and are spacedly secured on and joined by a continuous magnetically responsive metal guide bar I3, which is suitably insulated from the under surface of the members 5. The gaps or spaces B, between the roadway members are desirably lled with suitable filler pieces, not shown, to provide a continuous plane roadway surface. Alternate roadway segrnents 5a, 5b, are severally connected to the current leads in the same way as the segments of the composite conductor.

The toy motor driven automobile used in connection with the novel roadways hereinabove described is shown in operative position on the roadway I, of Fig. l, and in detail in Figs. 5 and 6.

The toy automobile is designated generally by the numeral 20, and comprises the usual chassis 2| mounted on a body frame 22, which is supported by the front wheel assembly 35, and rear wheel assembly 4B. The frame comprises a continuous metal bar bent on itself to form a front yoke or U section 23 having rearwardly extending, parallel legs 24, stepped laterally at 25, and terminating in open-ended, parallel frame members 26. The frame sections 24, are cross-braced by cross bars 21, 28, severally secured to the frame by welding or bracing. A bracket arm 29 is fixedly secured to the cross bar 21, as by welding or brazing, and extends forwardly and upwardly in the central longitudinal axis of the frame.

The front wheel assembly 33, comprises front wheels 3| mounted on axles 32 rotatably secured to aligned stub shafts 33 which are welded or otherwise flxedly secured to frame sections 24. Steering knuckles 34 are rigidly secured to axles 32, for rotation therewith, and are pivotally connected at their free ends by cross-bar or steering arm 35. The steering arm is actuated by an inverted, flat U -shaped electromagnet 35, having a winding 31. The magnet is pivotally mounted at its rear end on pin 38 secured in bracket 28, the mounting being such as to maintain the magnet horizontal, with the pole pieces clearing the ground. A guide pin 39, having a forward offset secured to the magnet, is journaled in the center of steering arm 35, and reciprocates the latter in response to the swing of the magnet about its pivot.

The rear wheel assembly 40, comprises the usual wheels 4|, 42, mounted on axle 43, which is rotatably journaled in aligned bearings 44 on the inner faces of frame sections 26 adjacent the ends thereof. Wheel 4| is fast with axle 43 and rotatable therewith, while wheel 42 is freely rotatable on the axle. The wheel 4| is driven by friction bearing wheel 45 of universal type driving motor 45. The motor 45 is mounted for driving bearing engagement with wheel 4| in the following manner: A platform support comprises a pair of inwardly extending arms 41 secured to the ends of a frame members 26, and rigid therewith. A second pair of parallel arms 48 are secured to the inner ends of arms 41, at right angles thereto.

and extend rearwardly beyond the motor 45, beingv spacedly secured at their free ends by cross bar 49. The bar 49 serves as a mounting for post member 50. A horizontal rod 5| is rigidly secured to the upper end of post 5E! and extends outwardly towards the driven wheel 4|. The rod 5| is threaded at its free end to receive nut 52. A bracket plate 53 is welded or brazed to a sleeve 54, and is adjustably secured to the casing of motor 45, by nut 55 threaded on stud 5S, which is screwed into the motor casing. The motor is mounted in bearing driving engagement with drive wheel 4| by fitting bearing sleeve 54 on and over bearing arm 5| and securing it in place by threading nut 52 on the end of arm 5|. With this arrangement, the motor 45 is eccentrically mounted on the bearing arm 5|, and its dead weight will force the friction driving wheel 46 into constant, yielding, driving engagement with the thread of driving wheel 4|.

The electrical system of the toy motor driven automobile will now be described: An insulating panel E0 is secured across plane members 24,

being riveted or otherwise fastened to bracket 29.'

The panel mounts a pair of angular connectors 6|, '62, having the usual screw fasteners. Connector 6| is in good electrical and mechanical contact with the bracket 29 and serves as a ground terminal. A combination rheostat-switch 63' is secured on crossl bar 28. This member has a multi-positiony switch 64- which is movable from an off position to full on position permitting several motor speeds to be attained, as wil-1 be described more in detail hereinafter. The rheostat is provided with screw terminals (i5, 66. A front collector shoe 8i) is grounded to the frame of the automobile, terminal i' serving as a connection therefor. The second rear collector shoe 85 is connected to contact 65 ofv the rheostat 63 by insulated wire connection: 6I. A second connection t3 connects, the rheostat 63 with motor 45. Line t9 connects the motor 45 with the ground terminal El. Lines Hl, ll respectively connect the winding 3,7 of electromagnet; 36y with terminals 6l, 62. A jump connector 'i2 bridges contacts or terminals (i2-66. Assumingk current to be picked up by the front collector shoe current will ow from terminal Gl through line 69 to motor 45 and return by line 6B to rheostat B3 (terminal 5S) and return through line E1 to the rear collector shoe.

As will be seen from the showings of Figs. 1 and 2, the current from input I4 will flow through positive line i5 to a contact shoe where it is picked up by the front collector, passing through the motor circuit of the car and returning through the rear collector shoe and a conductor segment of opposite polarity to negative side iii of the current input. While the current is flowing through the motor, branch current is flowing through the coil of the electrcmagnet, energizing the same. Here the flow will be from terminal Gli through the rheostat G3 to return line lil and the rear collector shoe. With the eleotromagnet energized and power flowing through the motor, the steering mechanism of the front wheels will automatically follow the path determined by the magnetically responsive commutator elements of conductor lil, no matter what configuration the conductor path may be caused to assume. The front and rear conductor shoes are held in positive conductive bearing engagement against the conductor segments in the following manner: The front collector mechanism comprises a front shoe 80 which is a slightly curved metal strip supported transversely of the front of the car by conductive spring arms 8 i 82, respectively. These arms are secured at the ends of a conductive cross arm 83, which is integral with boss 84. Boss 8d is welded or otherwise conductively secured to the front yoke or cross arm 23 of the car frame 22. The spring arms 8l, 82 are so configured and arranged as to insure a positive downward spring bias on collector shoe 86 thereby effecting positive bearing engagement of the latter with the exposed surfa-ces of the conductor elements of the composite conductor It, mounted in roadway l. The rear collector shoe 85 is provided with the simple bridge member 36 which receives the tip end of an insulating carrier 90. Line 5'! has one end conductively secured to collector 85, in any suitable manner, as by welding or bracing or mechanically, or as designated generally by the numeral 8l. The inner end of the insulating carrier 90 is fixedly secured between extending fingers 9i of bracket 94 which is carried on the ends of spring wires or fingers 95. The ngers 95 are adjustably secured in screw threaded terminal post 96, depending from segments e1, 4l of the support for the motor mounting 5t. The fingers 95 can be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly to impose any desired spring bias- 6 ill'rilg pressure on the transversely disposed collector s oe 85;

It will nowV be appreciated that there has been provided a novel toy motor driven automobile with cooperating roadways adapted tosupply current to the motor while simultaneously electromagnetically steering the automobile along any path determined by the structure of the roadway. The invention has been shown to include an external current source transmitted to the moving` automobile through a segmented, commutator type conductor, the segments of which being of magnetically responsive material, serve to attract the electromagnet coupled to the steering mechanism of the automobile, whereby automatic steering is effected. The toy automobile is provided with special collector shoes bridging conductor segments of opposite polarity and the electrical system of the automobile includes pre-set rheostat meansA enabling a. positive control of the maximum speed of the automobile. Additionally, rheostat means may be incorporated in the external electrical supply circuit whereby the speed of the car can be controlled while it is in motion. The mounting of the conductor segments and their length is so arranged that the collector shoes Bil and are at all times in conductive engagement with segments of opposite polarity, thereby insuring continuous current ow to the motor no matter what the position of the car.

It will be further appreciated that in lieu of using an electromagnet, associated with the steering wheels of the vehicle, that a permanent magnet may be substituted therefor. While, for purposes of illustration, a toy electric automobile has been described, it will be understood that the invention comprehends the use of other devices or vehicles adapted to run on the novel improved roadway of the present invention.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not conne myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth, by way of illustration, as it is apparent that many changes and variations may be made therein by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a toy automobile having a pair of front wheels, including steering mechanism, and a pair of rear wheels, of an electric motor for driving said automobile, a roadway, a segmented conductor carried by the roadway and insulated therefrom, a source of electric current, conductors leading from said source of electric current to the said segments whereby respectively adjacent segments carry current of opposite polarity, a pair of collector shoes mounted on the automobile and spaced to contact conductor segments of opposite polarity at all times, means for connecting the driving motor in circuit with the said collectors, and magnetic means connected to the steering mechanism of the front Wheels and sequentially oriented by the said conductor segments, the said segments being of magnetically responsive material.

2. The combination with a toy automobile having a pair of front wheels, including steering mechanism, and a pair of rear wheels, of an electric motor for driving said automobile, a roadway, a segmented conductor comprised of magnetically responsive metal segments extending slightly above the surface of the roadway, a

source of electric current, conductors leading from said source of electric current to the said segments whereby respectively adjacent segments carry current of opposite polarity, a pair of collector shoes mounted on the automobile and spaced to contact conductor segments of opposite polarity at all times, means for connecting the motor in circuit with the said collectors, and electromagnetic means connected to the steering mechanism of the front wheels and sequentially oriented by the said conductor segments, the said segments being of magnetically responsive material.

3. The combination with a toy vehicle having a iront wheel, including steering mechanism, and a pair of rear wheels, of an electric motor for driving the rear Wheels of the vehicle, a roadway, a segmented conductor carried by the roadway and insulated therefrom, a source of electric current conductors leading from said source to the segments of the conductor carried by the roadway whereby respectively adjacent segments carry current of opposite polarity, a pair of collector shoes mounted on the vehicle, said shoes being spaced to contact conductor segments of opposite polarity at all times, means for connecting the driving motor in circuit with said collectors, and magnetic means connected to the steering mechanism of the front Wheel of the vehicle and sequentially oriented by the conductor segments, said segments being of magnetic responsive material.

References Cited in the file of this patent l5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 434,871 Hunter Aug. 19, 1890 521,891 Reed June 26, 1894 2,239,3595 Mallory Apr. 22, 1941 20 2,493,755 Fermi Jan. 10,1950 

